From the Massachusetts Riverways Program Newsletter, April 2, 2008. For the full newsletter click here: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/river/newsletters/newsnotes28.htm

PUBLICATIONS:

In an effort to ensure that every community is equipped with the guidance needed to repair streams as part of larger watershed restoration efforts, the Center for Watershed Protection is now making Manual 4: Urban Stream Repair Practices of the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series available permanently for free download. This manual focuses on practices used to enhance the appearance, stability, structure, or function of urban streams. It includes guidance on how to set appropriate restoration goals for your stream, and how to choose the best combination of stream repair practices to meet them. [N.B.: The first three manuals in this series are also available for free download as well: Manual 1: An Integrated Framework to Restore Small Urban Watersheds; Manual 2: Methods to Develop Restoration Plans for Small Urban Watersheds; and Manual 3: Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices.]

CONFERENCE CALENDAR / TRAINING:

The Spring 2008 New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) meeting will be held May 1st -3rd, 2008, at the Gregg Coastal Conservation Center in Greenland, NH. Click here for more info.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center and UMass Extension will be hosting the 5th Annual Conference on Water Resources: Integrating Water Resources Management for a Secure Water Future on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at the Lincoln Campus Center , UMass/Amherst. This year’s conference will highlight integrated water resources management, from cutting-edge research on the assessment and remediation of impaired water resources, to policy for water use, reuse, conservation, and balance. The goals of this conference are to provide an interdisciplinary forum for scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to discuss current critical water research; foster greater collaboration among scientists and practitioners; and strengthen the connection between research, extension, and policy. EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Ira Leighton will be keynote speaker and address exciting new developments in stormwater policy and remediation. Click here to register or contact Françoise Walk at

(413) 545-5531 for more info.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is hosting a workshop entitled Stormwater Management and Low Impact Development for North Suburban Communities, which will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 from 8:30 AM - 10:45 AM in the Community Room of the Wakefield Public Safety Building, 1 Union Street in Wakefield . The workshop’s focus is on local stormwater bylaws and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques. The workshop is planned with municipal officials and board members in mind, as well as interested citizens, businesses, and property owners. Officials and board members from Public Works Departments, Planning Boards, Conservation Commissions, Boards of Appeal, Boards of Health, and Engineering Departments are particularly encouraged to attend. The workshop will include a “Community Clinic” session where you can bring questions and issues from your community to the panel of speakers. Click here for more details, an agenda and directions, or contact Martin Pillsbury at M APC, 617-451-2770, ext. 2012 or mpillsbury@mapc.org for more info.

The Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will present Low Impact Development Tools: Strategies for Environmentally-Friendly Development that Reduce Stormwater Runoff: A workshop for municipal boards, officials and staff, on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM at DCR’s Wachusett Regional Office, 180 Beaman St. (Route 140) in West Boylston. The workshop is offered to municipal officials and staff at no charge; please RSVP to Christine at (508) 792-7806 ext 233.

The River Management Society (RMS) is hosting its 9th Biennial Symposium, Branching out from the Mainestream, from Monday, May 12th to Thursday, May 15th at the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland, ME. Session topics include dam removal, urban rivers, river restoration techniques and case studies of successful partnerships. Sandra Postel is one of the featured speakers. A bunch of river and watershed-related field trips have also been organized. Click here for an on-line registration form, or contact Caroline Kurz at RMS at (406) 549-0514 or rms@river-managment.org for more info.

The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)'s 19th Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference, Progress Through Partnerships: Collaborating to Protect Our Watersheds, will be held May 19th -21st, 2008, at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, CT Click here for more info.

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) is hosting its 6th conference, Monitoring: Key to Understanding Our Waters , from May 18th – 22nd, 2008 at the Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Center. Click here for more info.

The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) is hosting a conference entitled Riparian Ecosystems and Buffers: Working at the Water's Edge, which will be held at the Founder's Inn and Spa in Virginia Beach, VA from June 30th- July 2nd, 2008. The conference will focus on emerging science and new studies on: the structure, function, and management of riparian ecosystems, conservation buffers, and coastal shorelines, including water quality, aquatic habitat, and terrestrial habitat, while focusing on new techniques in landscape prioritization and targeting, measuring and monitoring effectiveness, and the application of riparian buffer practices and restoration approaches in urban, agricultural, prairie, and forest landscapes (click here for a listing of probable workshop topics). [See also AWRA’s 2008 Awards Nominations, which are due on May 8th.]

The Humboldt Field Research Institute/Eagle Hill Foundation is offering a number of aquatic species and habitat-related seminars and workshops for professionals and naturalists this spring and summer at their campus in Steuben, ME, along the scenic downeast Maine coast. Click here for a course listing and here for more info on the Institute and its other activities. Call (207) 546-2821 or write office@eaglehill.us for more info.

The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recently posted several updates to its website relating to Stormwater to reflect recent regulatory changes which went into effect on January 2nd, 2008. Here are links to: the Revised Wetlands Protection (WPA) Regulations; the Revised Water Quality Certification (WQC) Regulations; and a Summary of WPA & WQC Revisions. DEP’s new Stormwater Handbook is in three volumes: Volume 1: Overview of Massachusetts Stormwater Standards; Volume 2: Technical Guide for Compliance with the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Standards; and Volume 3: Documenting Compliance with the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Standards. Click here to access the various chapters and checklists that make up these volumes. The old Stormwater Policy and handbooks are also accessible here as well for use on projects that had filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) or other submission to conservation commissions prior to Jan 2nd, 2008 . Also recently posted to D EP’s web page are the following: a Stormwater Report Checklist, which replaces the old Stormwater Management Form that was included as an appendix to the NOI form; a Checklist for Redevelopment Projects; and new versions of WPA Forms 3 & 5, Notice of Intent and Order of Conditions, revised to reflect the changes to stormwater management requirements. Go to DEP’s Wetlands Circuit Rider web page if you have questions or for more info.